1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display element and a method of manufacturing the same and more particularly to a liquid crystal display element having an In Plane Switching (hereinafter also referred to as IPS) structure.
2. Background Description
A laptop computer, a notebook personal computer, a small-size color television and so on are in rapidly increasing demand because of recent space saving and increase in personal use. A liquid crystal display element having an IPS structure is used for a display for use in these computers or the like in that the display using this element is slim, lightweight and driven by a low voltage and additionally the display has a wide viewing angle and also high contrast.
However, even the liquid crystal display element having the IPS structure is not perfect in the viewing angle and the contrast. For example, a region of a display screen which is inverted from white to black and vice versa. i.e., a gradation inversion region is present depending on the viewing angle. Moreover, the liquid crystal display element having the IPS structure has a problem of a slow response.
A method of reducing a gradation inversion by bending a switching electrode in the liquid crystal display element into xe2x80x9ca V shapexe2x80x9d is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 9-258269 in view of such a problem.
On the other hand, a method of preventing the gradation inversion by utilizing a vertical alignment of a liquid crystal layer is disclosed in xe2x80x9cA Vertically Aligned LCD Providing Super-High Image Qualityxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cA Novel Viewing Angle Technology for AM-LCDsxe2x80x9d in IWD ""97.
However, the method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 9-258269 cannot solve the problem of the slow response which the IPS has heretofore had. Moreover, the latter method described in IWD ""97 needs an optical film and may further require an advanced process technology. As a result, this method has a considerable disadvantage in yield and cost.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display element having a novel structure which has a wide viewing angle and high contrast and is more quickly responsive, and a method of manufacturing the same.
A liquid crystal display element of the present invention comprises a first substrate; a second substrate paired with the first substrate; and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The liquid crystal layer has two domains for compensating for a gradation inversion of the liquid crystal display element when the liquid crystal display element is driven.
Moreover, preferably, the liquid crystal display element of the present invention further comprises a switching electrode having at least one pair of opposing electrodes. The liquid crystal layer has the two domains for compensating for the gradation inversion between the opposing electrodes of the switching electrode.
Furthermore, preferably, the two domains for compensating for the gradation inversion of the liquid crystal display element of the present invention are symmetrically oriented about a center line between the opposing electrodes of the switching electrode.